Geriatrics & Chronic Diarrhea

Diarrhea may be a symptom of another condition or the body's effort to remove an irritant. A geriatric patient suffering from chronic diarrhea may feel embarrassment and neglect to tell his physician about the condition. Proper diagnosis depends on the physician asking the right questions to elicit the information. Because seniors often have fewer physical reserves than younger patients, diarrhea presents a greater danger. Without treatment, chronic diarrhea can lead to complications and death.

Identification

• Patients experiencing diarrhea complain of symptoms including unusually frequent bowel movements; watery stool; very soft stool; fecal incontinence; or increased urgency in bowel movements. Gas, bloating and abdominal pain or discomfort may accompany diarrhea. The Merck Manual of Geriatrics describes chronic diarrhea as lasting longer than four weeks.

Effects

• Chronic diarrhea may lead to malnutrition or anemia. The body absorbs nutrients as food passes through the intestines. Diarrhea causes the digested food to pass through more quickly than normal, causing fewer calories and nutrients to be utilized. Seniors frequently experience reduced appetite, making proper absorption of nutrients even more critical.

  Dehydration may result from the increased loss of liquids typical of diarrhea, leading to potentially critical imbalances of electrolytes or other essential elements. Internal damage due to untreated chronic diarrhea may lead to other serious conditions like perforated bowel, according to the Mayo Clinic.

  Chronic diarrhea can cause embarrassment and lead to a decline in social interactions. The patient may express reluctance to leave the proximity of the bathroom for fear of an accident, leading to increased isolation.

Causes

• Some medications can cause chronic diarrhea in elderly patients.

  Antibiotics taken for other conditions may cause an imbalance between beneficial and toxic bacteria in the digestive tract, resulting in diarrhea. Other possible causes are existing medical conditions such as Crohn's disease, food allergies, stress, changes in medication, food poisoning and infectious agents.

Treatment

• Home treatments for chronic diarrhea include a diet of clear liquids, conscious increase in water intake, gradual reintroduction of low bulk foods to the diet and avoidance of highly seasoned and fatty foods.

  The physician may adjust medications, run tests to uncover underlying physical causes or order rehydration in severe cases.

Caution

• Consult a physician if diarrhea lasts longer than three days, is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, fever or dizziness or if the stool is dark or black. Avoid over-the-counter anti-diarrheal products unless the physician directs. Such products may actually thwart the body's efforts to expel the causative agent, thereby prolonging the problem.